What is history, the question seems to very easy, but it is so complex that till day a definition acceptable to all scholars has not came out. All the modern historians have different opinions regarding definition, nature, subject matter and scope of history. Reaching unanimity is very difficult in this matter. From the ancient times to modern age, the scope of history has been expanding and changing continuously. The driving force behind these changes has been the social value and their social necessities of that particular age. Besides this, the history writing has also undergone many changes. From the inception of history writing beginning from Herodotus, father of history, to Toynbee, the art of history writing has changed regularly. And nowdays some new trends have entered the art of history writing i.e. positivist, Idealistic, marxist, Subaltern and postmodernism. Carlyle holds the view that "history is nothing but the biography of great men and that it is a record of human accomplishment, particularly of great souls5. Therefore, the scope of history includes both man and nature in so far as these two play a significant part in the life of mankind. All the scholars associated with this school focuses an history from below instead of History of above. This school has focused on the marginalized sections of history.
Subaltern, Postmodernism, Positivist, Romanticist, Enlightenment, Dialectical
